Country footy: Leongatha forwards fire in Gippsland grand final replay

Jenson Garnham and Jack Ginnane have destroyed Sale in a lopsided grand final replay — kicking a staggering number of goals.

Leongatha’s dynamic forward duo Jenson Garnham and Jack Ginnane have combined to kick a staggering 19 goals between them in a demolition job on Sale in the Gippsland league grand final replay on Saturday.

First year Parrots’ player Garnham finished with a record 11 goals and Ginnane followed up his 11 goals from last round with another eight.

Leongatha also booted its biggest score against Sale with its 27.13 (175) bettering the previous highest total of 24.24 (168) in 1979.

Leongatha’s Jack Ginnane marks in front of Sale’s Mitch Brown. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Another record to tumble was the winning margin of 132 points eclipsing the previous highest of 121 points in 2016.

Garnham’s 11 goals bettered the previous record of nine kicked by Glen Thorson in 1988.

Leongatha coach Trent McMicking was left in awe of the Parrots’ most commanding display this season.

“We used the ball much better than we have all year,” he said.

“The (two forwards) had it on a platter with a pretty serviceable midfield today.

“We’ve been winning and we won well last week, but there were still some areas for improvement.”

Sale’s Jack McLaren is sandwiched between two Leongatha opponents. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

The Parrots’ latest victory was their 32nd in a row with the winning streak beginning in the 2021 season prematurely ended by Covid.

Garnham, who kicked five goals on debut in round one, booted six in the first half with his record-breaking 10th goal coming midway through the final quarter.

He was recruited from Inverloch-Kongwak and played most of last year with Gippsland Power.

Garnham and Ginnane had plentiful supply from a dominant Leongatha midfield with Aaron Heppell and Tom Marriott constantly streaming from the centre with minimal pressure in the second half.

Sale is in early season trouble with only one win from its first four matches.

The Magpies have struggled to kick a winning score in the absence of a settled forward line with playing coach Jack Johnstone used up forward and kicking two goals.

HEATHCOTE DISTRICT

Mt Pleasant spoiled the McEvoy brothers’ first and only match together with a 49-point win over Colbinabbin on Saturday.

Colbinabbin led by 12 points at quarter time, but Mt Pleasant dominated the remainder of the match including slamming on six last term goals.

Former Hawthorn captain Ben McEvoy, right, at Colbinabbin football training with brothers Peter, left, and Matt, centre. Picture: Supplied

Ben and Peter McEvoy and older brother and regular Colbinabbin player Matthew took the field together in a match for the first time with the latter named in the team’s best players.

Colbinabbin had to use six player points on Ben after retiring from the AFL last season and Peter was also a five-pointer after his recent career in the VFL with Coburg.

Mt Pleasant star Ben Weightman kicked four goals to feature among the victor’s best players.

TALLANGATTA AND DISTRICT

Chiltern remains firmly in the hunt for back-to-back premierships after destroying a resurgent Mitta United by 61 points at Eskdale on Saturday.

The reigning premiers stunned Mitta United, which had won its first three matches against lowly-ranked teams, with a six-goal first quarter blitz setting the tone for the game.

Chiltern's Scott Meyer won the Tallangatta league's Barton Medal last year. Picture: Supplied

In contrast, Chiltern had started the season with a loss to Beechworth and a draw against Yackandandah.

The 2022 league best and fairest winner Scott Meyer dominated for Chiltern and veteran Mark Doolan booted eight goals including five in the final term.

Defender Nick Stephens kept Mitta United forward Ethan Redcliffe to three goals.

OVENS AND MURRAY

Wangaratta Rovers’ run of narrow wins has come to an end in dramatic fashion with a one-point loss to Myrtleford on Saturday.

The match was called off when Rovers’ second gamer Will McCarthy was heavily concussed in a chase down tackle from behind by a Myrtleford opponent deep in the final term.

McCarthy was paid a free, but he couldn’t take his kick with only seven seconds left on the clock.

Play was suspended and an ambulance called to the ground, but it didn’t arrive before the game was eventually abandoned.

Moments before incident, Myrtleford’s Declan Bren had dribbled through a goal to put the Saints in front after the Rovers had started to try and run down the clock in pursuit of a fourth successive close win.

It was Myrtleford’s first victory of the season.